The trust is looking for investors willing to pay around £50,000 (US$100,000) to £100,000 (US$200,000), in return for a share in the trust and helping to secure a long-term loan of a world-class instrument.

Hanslip—who was signed to Warner Classics at the age of 12—has performed with a number of different instruments over the years, mostly on a short-term loan basis.

She told Billboard.biz, "It is absolutely vital for my music and my career to secure an outstanding instrument as soon as possible. Violins are wonderful investments and I so hope it will be possible to find generous benefactors to help my cause."